 | [Poems from the Vernon MS] |  |
Þe ten comaundemens of god.
Afftur þis schaltou witen þen
Wȝuche ben þe comaundemens ten.
Þe furste, hit is be þin a-cord:
Worschipe to O god, vr lord.
Þen þe fend þe may not derue,
Ȝif þou him only worschipe and serue.
Worschupe him þorw feiþ and mode,
And serue him wiþ werkes gode.
Wȝuche ben þe comaundemens ten.
Þe furste, hit is be þin a-cord:
Worschipe to O god, vr lord.
Þen þe fend þe may not derue,
Ȝif þou him only worschipe and serue.
Worschupe him þorw feiþ and mode,
And serue him wiþ werkes gode.
Þenk ȝif þou haue alle tym
Trewely honoured hym,
And ouer alle oþur þinges
Serue[d] hym and his biddynges;
Trewely honoured hym,
And ouer alle oþur þinges
Serue[d] hym and his biddynges;
Þenk ȝif þou haue ȝolden him þi beo-hest
Þat þou be-hiȝtest hym mest or lest:
Þou him be-hiȝtest feiþful trist
Whon þou toke þi Baptist;
Or ȝif þou haue lasse penaunce don
Þen þe was leyd penaunce vppon.
Þorwh þis comaundement al-to-gader
Mon is ordeynt to god þe ffader.
Þat oþur bi-heste is forto seyn:
Þat þou be-hiȝtest hym mest or lest:
241
Whon þou toke þi Baptist;
Or ȝif þou haue lasse penaunce don
Þen þe was leyd penaunce vppon.
Þorwh þis comaundement al-to-gader
Mon is ordeynt to god þe ffader.
Nempne not godus nome in veyn.
Þorw þat is defendet lesynge,
ffalshede, and forswerynge.
Þorw þat is eueri good mon in wone
Ordeynt touward god þe Sone,
ffor he him-self bereþ witnesse
And seiþ “I am soþnesse” expresse.
Þe þridde heste is forte say
Þat þou kepe wel þin haly-day.
Þat is to sei, vch an heih fest
Þat comeþ þe to, mest or lest,
Haue þin herte in pes and reste most.
Þat ordeyneþ mon to þe holygost.—
Þeose þreo hestes techeþ ow and me
To beren vs to god þe Trinite,
To whos liknesse Mon is mad
In soule, þat scholde be trewe and sad.
Seuene oþure techeþ men
Hou þei schul bere hem to her euen-cristen.
Þe furste is: worschupe þou folly
fflesch-fadur and modur and þi gostly.
And þat in two Maner of þinges:
In boxumnesse and for-berynges,
And help hem bi þi pouwer in dede
Of alle þinges þat þei haue nede.
Þen schalt þou beo of long lyf
In eorþe here wiþ-outen stryf.
Ȝif þou wolt haue þe lyf longe,
Worschupe þi god wiþ wille stronge,
ffor he þe brouȝt, wite hit wel,
Al þi lyf euerich a del.
Þat oþur heste, hit is þon:
In no wey þat þou sle no mon.
Þenne schaltou wite here,
Mon-slauȝt is in þreo manere,
In þreo manere hit is ful smerte:
Of hond, of tonge, and of herte.
In no wey þat þou sle no mon.
242
Mon-slauȝt is in þreo manere,
In þreo manere hit is ful smerte:
Of hond, of tonge, and of herte.
Of hond hit is wiþ-outen meþ
Whon a Mon wiþ wepene sleþ,
Or whon he putteþ him in dede
In prisun or in oþur stede—
Þat ilke doing cause may be
Of his deþ, as I sei þe. . . .
Whon a Mon wiþ wepene sleþ,
Or whon he putteþ him in dede
In prisun or in oþur stede—
Þat ilke doing cause may be
Of his deþ, as I sei þe. . . .
Monslauȝt of herte is also here
In oþur two vuel manere:
Whon Mon coueyteþ oþures deþ in hiȝe,
Or for de-faute leteþ him dye
And nil not helpen him in þat mester
Ne him deliuere, ȝif he ha pouwer.
Þen is hit þe þridde heste:
In oþur two vuel manere:
Whon Mon coueyteþ oþures deþ in hiȝe,
Or for de-faute leteþ him dye
And nil not helpen him in þat mester
Ne him deliuere, ȝif he ha pouwer.
To do no lecherie, mest ne leste.
He þat wol lyue wiþ-outen dyȝing
In þe blisse of heuene-kyng,
Him weore neod to kepe ful boun
His dedlyche lyf from corupcioun,
ffrom þat corupciun, sei I,
Þat wol come of his bodi.
Þe ffeorþe heste is, witerli:
To do no þefþe ne Robberi.
He þat wol spare oþurmennes lyf,
Bi-nyme him nouht wiþ no strif,
Þorwh wȝuche bi-nymynge
Þou maiȝt bi-reue his lyuynge.
Þe ffyfþe heste þen is þis:
Þow schalt bere no fals witnes
Aȝeynes þin euen-cristen þen,
Ne also þou schalt not cumforten hem
Þat wolden liue in reste and ro (!)
Heore neihȝebors harm to do.
ffor bi a fals witnesse i-bore
A Mon may worldli beo forlore.
Ȝif þou no counseil in no res
To him þat wolde liuen in pes
243
ffor ȝif þou dost, hit torneþ to wrake.
Þe sixte heste wiþ-outen strif:
Coueite þou nouȝt þi neiȝebors wyf,
Ne non of his seruauns also,
Ne nouȝt þat him longeþ to.
Þe seueþe heste is þus, I-wis:
Coueyte þou not þi neiȝebors godis.
Þis two hestes acordyng ben
To þo bifore as ȝe may sen,
Þer he seiþ to þe in hiȝe
“Do no þefþe, ne lecherie,”
ffor he þat haþ wikked wille and smert,
Wikked entent is in his hert,
He may not longe for no þing
Holden him from mis-doing.
Þerfore I warne þe nou so,
Þat þou lecherie ne do;
Ȝif þou wolt not stele nou,
Oþur mennes good coueite not þou.
Þeos ben þe ten hestes to say
Þat god ȝaf Moyses in þe Mount of Synay.
Coueyte þou not þi neiȝebors godis.
Þis two hestes acordyng ben
To þo bifore as ȝe may sen,
Þer he seiþ to þe in hiȝe
“Do no þefþe, ne lecherie,”
ffor he þat haþ wikked wille and smert,
Wikked entent is in his hert,
He may not longe for no þing
Holden him from mis-doing.
Þerfore I warne þe nou so,
Þat þou lecherie ne do;
Ȝif þou wolt not stele nou,
Oþur mennes good coueite not þou.
Þeos ben þe ten hestes to say
Þat god ȝaf Moyses in þe Mount of Synay.
Þe furste þreo, witeþ hit wel,
Ben to godus honour eueridel;
And to þi-self longen þe seuene,
To louen alle cristene euene.
Ben to godus honour eueridel;
And to þi-self longen þe seuene,
To louen alle cristene euene.
| [Poems from the Vernon MS] | |